OBJECTIVE: Korea (ranked 16th) and Japan (ranked 13th) show similar rankings, skills, and performance in basketball. However, the countries differ in size and the number of players in the national women's basketball system. The current study aimed to compare the psychological factors (anxiety, and temperament and character) and the national teams' players' characteristics between 80 Korean (WKBL players) and 76 Japanese (WJBL players) female basketball players in six professional teams each. METHODS: All players were asked to complete demographic characteristics including age, career years, position, number of past and presents positions, and clinical scales, including sports anxiety, state anxiety, trait anxiety, and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Hierarchical logistic regression analyses among individual factors, physical factors, basketball status, anxiety factors, and temperamental conditions were conducted. RESULTS: In all basketball players, all five models were significantly associated with national team players. The TCI factors were the strongest predictive factors for Korean national team players, while the anxiety factors were the strongest predictive factors for Japanese national team players. WKBL players in all positions showed higher sports anxiety and harm avoidance than WJBL players. WJBL players scored higher on self-directedness and cooperativeness than WKBL players. CONCLUSION: For predicting national team players, temperament and character were crucial factors in WKBL players where anxiety was the most important one for WJBL players.
Anxiety ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Basketball ; Female ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Psychology ; Sports ; Temperament ; Weights and Measures

For a basketball player who had scapholunate interosseous ligament injury related to sport, it is crucial to secure the active range of motion (ROM) and regain proprioception of the wrist. The player was involved in a 21-week rehabilitation procedure based on controlling pain with inactive treatments, restoring the wrist ROM with active treatments. We measured the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, upper extremity functional outcome measurement (Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand [DASH]) for the functionality, and active ROMs of the wrist. The VAS was decreased (after surgical treatment, 8.7; 1 week, 2.5; 12 week, 3–5; 21 week, 0). The DASH score was decreased when he returned to play (after surgical treatment, 78; end of the rehabilitation, 23). Wrist flexion and extension ROM were increased to 55° and 67°, respectively. To restore the function of the wrist for basketball performance, improvement of active ROM and proprioception is the primary goal to return to play.
Arm ; Basketball ; Hand ; Ligaments ; Proprioception ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Rehabilitation ; Return to Sport ; Shoulder ; Sports ; Upper Extremity ; Visual Analog Scale ; Wrist

Stress fractures of the patella occurring in athletes are quite rare and only 23 cases have been introduced in English literatures. Stress fractures of the patella are classified into two types: transverse and longitudinal. They are mostly seen in the distal one-third of the patella on a plain lateral radiograph. We present here a 16-year-old female basketball player with a stress fracture of the patella. Her serial radiographs demonstrated progression of the fracture including a lytic cortex lesion, known as the gray cortex sign for early stage stress fractures, in the distal one-third of the patella on plain lateral radiographs. In addition, we introduce a surgical technique using non-absorbable suture ligatures (No.2 Ethibond) for a displaced transverse stress fracture of the patella when the extensor mechanism is intact. The ligatures are passed through into the patella using suture passers and simply tied down over the top of the patella. In our case, it led to neither hardware-related nor circumferential loop-related irritation postoperatively.
Adolescent ; Athletes ; Basketball ; Female ; Fractures, Stress ; Humans ; Ligation ; Patella ; Sutures

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the contributing factors of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), electrodiagnostic and ultrasonographic findings of median nerve, and median nerve change after exercise in wheelchair basketball (WCB) players. METHODS: Fifteen WCB players with manual wheelchairs were enrolled in the study. Medical history of the subjects was taken. Electrodiagnosis and ultrasonography of both median nerves were performed to assess CTS in WCB players. Ultrasonographic median nerves evaluation was conducted after wheelchair propulsion for 20 minutes. RESULTS: Average body mass index (BMI) and period of wheelchair use of CTS subjects were greater than those of normal subjects. Electrodiagnosis revealed CTS in 14 of 30 hands (47%). Cross-sectional area (CSA) of median nerve was greater in CTS subjects than in normal subjects at 0.5 cm and 1 cm proximal to distal wrist crease (DWC), DWC, 1 cm, 2 cm, 3 cm, and 3.5 cm distal to DWC. After exercising, median nerve CSAs at 0.5 cm and 1 cm proximal to DWC, DWC, and 3 cm and 3.5 cm distal to DWC were greater than baseline CSAs in CTS subjects; and median nerve CSAs at 1 cm proximal to DWC and DWC were greater than baseline CSAs in normal subjects. The changes in median nerve CSA after exercise in CTS subjects were greater than in normal subjects at 0.5 cm proximal to DWC and 3 cm and 3.5 cm distal to DWC. CONCLUSION: BMI and total period of wheelchair use contributed to developing CTS in WCB players. The experimental exercise might be related to the median nerve swelling around the inlet and outlet of carpal tunnel in WCB athletes with CTS.
Athletes* ; Basketball* ; Bays ; Body Mass Index ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome* ; Electrodiagnosis ; Electromyography ; Hand ; Humans ; Median Nerve ; Ultrasonography ; Wheelchairs* ; Wrist

Recent neuroimaging studies indicate that learning a novel motor skill induces plastic changes in the brain structures of both gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) that are associated with a specific practice. We previously reported an increased volume of vermian lobules VI-VII (declive, folium, and tuber) in elite basketball athletes who require coordination for dribbling and shooting a ball, which awakened the central role of the cerebellum in motor coordination. However, the precise factor contributing to the increased volume was not determined. In the present study, we compared the volumes of the GM and WM in the sub-regions of the cerebellar vermis based on manual voxel analysis with the ImageJ program. We found significantly larger WM volumes of vermian lobules VI-VII (declive, folium, and tuber) in elite basketball athletes in response to long-term intensive motor learning. We suggest that the larger WM volumes of this region in elite basketball athletes represent a motor learning-induced plastic change, and that the WM of this region likely plays a critical role in coordination. This finding will contribute to gaining a deeper understanding of motor learning-evoked WM plasticity.
Athletes* ; Basketball* ; Brain ; Cerebellum* ; Humans ; Learning ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Motor Skills ; Neuroimaging ; Plastics*

The purpose of this study was to determine shoulder pain and shoulder ultrasonographic findings in poliomyelitis Wheelchair Basketball (WB) players. Three physicians performed physical examinations and interviewed WB players about their shoulder pain by using Wheelchair User's Shoulder Pain Index (WUSPI), Performance-Corrected WUSPI (PC-WUSPI), and Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI). One physician performed shoulder ultrasonography on WB players. All confirmed their International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) classifications through Korean Wheelchair Basketball Federation (KWBF). Seventeen men and 6 women players were enrolled in the study, with 46 shoulders evaluated. Nine players had unilateral lower extremity weakness and 14 players were bilateral weakness. Six players used wheelchair for daily living, and 17 players used wheelchair only when playing WB. They were 44.35+/-5.42 years old on average. They had played WB for 11.09+/-9.49 years and trained 8.69+/-3.83 hours a week. PC-WUSPI was significantly correlated with age (p=0.014). There were no significant differences between time spent playing WB, training time for WB, types of poliomyelitis involvement, their use of wheelchair, and WUSPI, PC-WUSPI and SPADI. Tendon tear prevalence was significantly different with training time for WB (p=0.021). Most common abnormal shoulder ultrasonographic findings were subscapularis and supraspinatus tendinopathy. Tendinopathy and tendon tear prevalence did not differ significantly with age, time spent playing WB, types of poliomyelitis, and the use of wheelchair. High prevalence of shoulder pain and rotator cuff pathology were found by physical and ultrasonographic examination in the poliomyelitis wheelchair basketball players. Rotator cuff injury prevention program are needed for prevent shoulder pain and rotator cuff pathology.
Basketball* ; Classification ; Female ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Pathology ; Physical Examination ; Poliomyelitis* ; Prevalence ; Rotator Cuff ; Shoulder Pain ; Shoulder* ; Tendinopathy ; Tendons ; Ultrasonography* ; Wheelchairs*

Stress fractures of the proximal phalanx of the great toe are rare. This fractures have been associated with halux valgus deformity in most reports. We performed open reduction and internal fixation with distal chevron osteotomy for the stress fracture of the proximal phalanx of the great toe in a basketball player with hallux valgus, and obtained successful bony union and rapid return to sports.
Basketball ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Fractures, Stress ; Hallux ; Hallux Valgus ; Osteotomy ; Sports ; Toes

Stress fractures of the anterior tibial cortex are prone to complete fracture because these stress fractures occur on the tension side of the bone. Recently, surgical treatments are preferred in high-performance athletes requiring rapid return to sports. We report our experience of a case in which stress fracture of the anterior tibial cortex was treated using anterior tension band plating in a male athlete and successful bony union and rapid return to sports were achieved.
Athletes ; Basketball ; Fractures, Stress ; Humans ; Male ; Sports ; Tibia

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to compare the validity of the Drop Leg Lachman's test (DLLT) with Lachman's test (LT) in appreciating abnormal knee AP laxity using KT-1000, specifically comparing LT and DLLT in terms of sensitivity and specificity.

METHODS: A prospective randomized cross-sectional study was used on 36 patients complaining of unilateral knee symptoms from April 2009 to November 2009, 18 to 50 years of age consulting at the UP-PGH Department of Orthopedics Sports Clinic. Descriptive statistics were used to obtain the frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and range. Data was analyzed and calculated using the KT-1000 and STATA software.

RESULTS: The subjects included 31 (86%) males and 5 (14%) females. Thirty-six percent were students and the rest were employed. The average age of the subjects was 28 years old with a range from 17 to 50 years. Their average weight was 72 kilograms with a range of 50 to 92 kilograms. Their average height was 170 centimeters with a range of 157-187 centimeters. Twenty eight (78%) complained of knee pain, 7 (17%) of knee instability and 1 (2%) of knee tightness. All of the subjects attribute the current complaint to a previous trauma, 72% were basketball-related. The average duration of onset of symptoms to testing was 22 months. Our study showed identical results of 95.45% sensitivity and 50.0% specificity when DLLT and LT were compared to KT-1000.

CONCLUSIONS: The Drop Leg Lachman's test shows no statistical difference with that of Lachman's Test in diagnosing knee instability using the KT-1000 as gold standard. It has an identical transitivity of 95.45 % and specificity of 50%.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Basketball ; Cross-sectional Studies ; Prospective Studies ; Orthopedics ; Knee Joint ; Joint Instability ; Sensitivity And Specificity ; Students ; Pain ; Software

The purpose of this study was to do the surveillance study of sports injuries which were suffered to National players of South Korea Team during the summer Asian Games 2010 in Guangzhou. All medical staffs of Korea Delegation were asked to report all sports injuries newly incurred during the Games on injury report form, and the physicians made clinical diagnoses of the injuries. Total 725 injuries (430 athletes) were reported, and 288 injuries (209 athletes) were newly incurred: 68 injuries (58 athletes) were recurrent with previous history, resulting in total incidence rate: 45.5 injuries/1000 athlete exposures (AE) (95% confidence interval [CI]: 40.1-50.6 injuries/1000 AE) and incidence proportion: 26% (95% CI: 23-29). The new injury was highest in athletics (n=37, 12.8%), hockey (n=26, 9.0%), and basketball (n=23, 8.0%). While 162 injuries (56.2%) were incurred during practice, 126 injuries (43.8%) were incurred in competition. The most frequent diagnoses were lateral ankle ligament sprain (n=28, 9.7%, 95% CI: 6.3-13.1), calf muscle cramp (n=23, 95% CI: 4.9-11.1), and hamstring strain (n=22, 95% CI: 4.6-10.7). The relapsed injury was highest in athletics (n=16, 23.5%), basketball (n=6, 8.8%), and wrestling (n=5, 7.4%). While 50 injuries (73.5%) were recurred during practice, 18 injuries (26.5%) were recurred in competition. The most frequent diagnoses of relapsed injury were calf muscle cramp (n=11, 16.2%, 95% CI: 7.4-25.0), low back strain (n=6, 8.8%, 95% CI: 2.1-15.6), and hamstring strain (n=6, 8.8%, 95% CI: 2.1-15.6). Our data indicated incidence rates, incidence proportions, characteristics and frequent diagnoses of acute and recurrent sports injuries during the games, therefore these results could provide relevant information for the sports injury prevention at elite level.
Animals ; Ankle ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Athletes ; Athletic Injuries ; Basketball ; Hockey ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Ligaments ; Medical Staff ; Muscle Cramp ; Republic of Korea ; Sports ; Sprains and Strains ; Wrestling